Cancer Council urges caution on alternative therapies

Cancer
Council
Victoria
is
urging
cancer
patients
to
consult
their
treating
doctor
before
trying
alternative
or
complementary
treatments,
including
extreme
diets.

Cancer
Council
Victoria
CEO
Todd
Harper
said
research
showed
the
use
of
complementary
or
alternative
therapies
was
common
among
Australian
cancer
patients

"Some
complementary
therapies,
like
yoga
and
massage,
are
safe
for
cancer
patients
and
may
have
benefits.
However,
there
have
been
several
high-profile
examples
of
unscrupulous
providers
charging
vulnerable
people
large
sums
of
money
for
unproven
and
even
dangerous
treatments.
That’s
why
we
always
encourage
people
to
speak
to
their
treating
doctor
before
starting
any
new
treatment,”
Mr
Harper
said.

The
same
goes
for
so-called
“wonder”
diets
or
foods.

“Cancer
patients
often
want
to
know
what
they
should
eat.
Unfortunately,
there’s
no
wonder
food
or
eating
plan.
The
answer
is
good
nutrition.
Eating
a
well-balanced
diet
that’s
high
in
whole
foods
is
important
for
everyone,
but
especially
for
those
who
have
cancer.

“Our
advice
is:
be
wary
of
anyone
who
encourages
you
to
eliminate
many
types
of
food
or
whole
food
groups
from
your
diet.
Always
seek
information
from
reputable
sources
and
consult
your
doctor
or
dietitian
first,”
Mr
Harper
said.

Useful
questions
to
ask
about
alternative
and
complementary
therapies
include:

Is
this
therapy
specifically
used
for
cancer
patients
or
for
people
with
other
diseases?

Are
there
any
side
effects?

Who
will
be
involved
in
delivering
the
therapy,
and
what
are
their
qualifications?

What
are
the
costs,
and
are
they
covered
by
my
health
insurance
provider?

What
does
the
therapy
aim
to
achieve?

Will
this
therapy
affect
my
conventional
medical
treatment?

To
speak
to
a
cancer
nurse
for
free
information
and
support
call
13
11
20.

Cancer Council Victoria would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work. We would also like to pay respect to the elders past and present and extend that respect to all other Aboriginal people.